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Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe {Paleo- Whole30 Compliant}

This creamy ranch flavored chicken salad recipe is not only delicious for everyday, it is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant!

That delicious picture up above is two things. 1. amazingly delicious. 2 both paleo and whole30 compliant. I really struggled a bit getting started with Whole30 because I am quite the carb addict. If you want to read about why I decided to do the Whole30, you can read about my Whole30 Story here {it’s not what you think!}

I am not a diet person and never have been. I just love food too much. I recently heard a friend talking about the diet and saying that you just miss out on life. That is how I feel about food! Every meal is a chance to eat something that makes my taste buds sing and taking out all the good stuff (ie bread, pasta, cheese, and butter) would be like taking my joy away three times a day…. or more.

I was determined not to let that happen. I knew there were foods that could be amazing without my aforementioned favorite 4 foods. I just had to get a little more creative in the kitchen. I will admit that there were things that I thought would be delicious and were not. But this. THIS. It was able to make my taste buds sing.

Sure, I might have eaten the ranch chicken salad on toast or crackers if I wasn’t on whole30, but really, who cares! I could just eat the stuff straight out of the bowl with a spoon, it is so good. The zucchini slices made perfect vehicle for delivering it right to my mouth sans carbs, plus it gave it a little extra crunch. I will definitely be doing chicken salad on top of zucchini again, and am excited to try cucumber too.

The chicken salad comes together quickly and just uses a few whole food ingredients. I like to use up extra chicken from the grill or crock pot for this, but you could also use left over rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken in a pinch. The veggies are also flexible to what you have on hand. I used celery and bell pepper because it really compliments the flavors in the ranch well, but you can add more or less of whatever you have. Putting lots of veggies in is a great way to bulk up the volume you make and reduce the calories per serving so I always pack it full.

If you are doing Whole30 you can get the recipe for the homemade ranch mix I use here (it is dairy free to comply with Whole30 which normal Ranch is not) and you will want to make your mayonnaise from scratch (don’t worry, it is way easier than it sounds!) Or if you just want it to be ready to use, you can grab something compliant like this Avocado Oil Mayo. I like to mix the seasonings into the mayonnaise first to make sure it gets mixed well and evenly distributed. Then mix the seasoned mayo into a bowl with the chicken and veggies and stir until everything is coated.

Letting it sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before serving is best because it lets the mayo take on all of the delicious flavors of the ranch. Then just serve it up any way you like and enjoy!

{FULL RECIPE BELOW}

Did your taste buds sing? I would love to know in the comments!

If you are whole30, make sure to check out all of my Whole30 Recipes here! Also, this Whole30 Fajita Chicken salad recipe is every bit as delicious as the ranch so make sure and check it out too!